Divine Timing: The Move to Davie

The only constant in life is change. My own experience picking up from the end of August until the end of September is proof. Not only is change ongoing, sometimes it happens faster than the shake of a lamb’s tail.

Image Credits: CTJ360 PhotoBooth, and April Heath, LMT

If you’re an entrepreneur and a woman and a massage therapist with a dream of owning a spa and wellness center, START WHERE YOU ARE. The deal was I’d sublease space on the weekends for six months beginning in April. Towards the end of the lease term, I’d decide whether to negotiate new terms (more days), or take over the lease on my own.

At the end of August, the decision was made to take over the lease on my own.

God: Not so fast, Missy.

On September 1st, things went south. There was an inexcusable meltdown in front of clients. The trigger? An ugly old China cabinet in my suite that I didn’t want. The outburst was bizarre, but it wasn’t even the first. When I left work, I made a list of pros and cons of staying. To my surprise, the cons outweighed the pros. That was an eye-opener. September 2nd, I said I wasn’t signing a lease. She could keep her cabinet.

No time but the present

Early Tuesday morning on September 3rd, I attended a leads group for the Miramar/Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce, at Linda Lombardi’s invitation. Linda is the owner/publisher of Sports & Activities magazine. Only one empty seat remained, so I took it. Of course, I couldn’t enter the room without getting my purse strap stuck on the door, so I disrupted the presentation. All eyes on me, and I didn’t want it that way.

Irvene Foster sat to my left and a woman I didn’t know yet sat to my right. Irvene sells Mary Kay and absolutely LOVES getting massages. 

At the end of the leads group, Linda introduced me to Tomeka James, the lady who’d been sitting on my right. Tomeka runs CTJ360 PhotoBooth, and I had so many creative ideas with blurry edges that I jumped at the chance to get on her calendar. I needed guidance to get clear on how to present Joyful Rising to the marketplace. Tomeka and I scheduled our virtual meeting for the next day.

You can hold onto your hats, but God’s goal was to knock my socks off

The next day was Wednesday, September 4th. Tomeka got my creative juices flowing and I took notes. I mentioned that I was going to look at a salon suite after our call because I was on the market for space. She said she’d just met a lady who had space to rent out and gave me her contact information. 

As soon as our video call ended, I reached out to Jay Mignon of Beautification & Co., on my way out the door to Salon Loft.

Jay couldn’t have exuded more upbeat energy if her life depended on it, and that was over the phone.

I went to Salon Loft as scheduled, but as it turned out, the last remaining spa suite had just been rented. If I wanted, I could go on a waiting list or I could take a salon suite. I already got burned being in close proximity to noisy hairstylists, so I opted to go on the waiting list.

After touring Salon Loft, I let Jay know I was on my way. Less than ten minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot that easily accommodated 50 cars in front of Suite 402: Beautification & Co.

As soon as I pulled open the glass front door, I knew this might be the right home for Joyful Rising. The flooring was straight out of my vision board. Black, grey, and white, super modern and uncluttered.

I walked down the hall towards Jay’s voice beckoning me. I arrived at a suite with enormous white flower blossom stencils on the wall, and petite Jay with her shock of red hair and larger-than-life Bronx positivity.

Who was in her chair getting a pedicure but Linda Lombardi.

“April?”

“Linda!” I thought this was crazy, but that’s how a setup from God feels.

Jay finished Linda’s pedicure and showed me two different available suites. One was tight and outfitted for manicures and pedicures. The other had a lot of floorspace to offer, pale grey walls with a white chair rail, and a fridge.

No dogs meant no furballs and no barking. No hairstylists meant no loud gossip, hairballs, or noisy blow dryers. Eight suites meant privacy without being isolated. The rent was half the daily rate of where I was leaving. Plus, the commute from home was half the distance. And let’s not forget, no ugly China cabinet taking up valuable square footage.

“Could this really be happening right here, right now?” I wondered.

The second time I went to look at the larger suite, I took a tape measure and met Jay’s partner Veronica. My calculation came to 180 square feet. The room offered plenty of outlets and a normal, rectangular shape. The only two drawbacks were no on-site laundry and no running water in my room.

I said, “Yes, I’ll take it.”

Then the fun part started: shopping for equipment, furnishings, and decor. I took my vision board and Excel spreadsheet and pushed “add to cart” more times than I can count.

By September 29th, I held a Grand Reopening, which was well-attended and photographed and recorded by Tomeka James.

In the meantime, I couldn’t be happier. Joyful Rising Massage Therapy is 100% mine and looks and feels the way I envisioned it. It’s a peaceful and elegant space in green to represent growth, nature, and prosperity. Art Deco honors masculine energy. Art Nouveau honors feminine energy, and Afro-Nouveau offers inclusive representation. The space makes people feel like Hollywood royalty as soon as they walk in.

In my opinion, Joyful Rising’s new home is 99% done. I’m still waiting for deliveries of diffusers for the (godawful) fluorescent lights and decals for the wall in my font that say, “Breathe, Release, Renew.”

I’d say the rest is history, but I’m still making it.

PS The story didn’t even start in late August. It goes back to June 2023. I invite you to read my Brown Butterfly story.

---

Have you ever had to turn on a dime? Leave a comment.

Follow me on Instagram: (@joyful_rising)